Healthy Dine-out

Ellen says:When dining out, do you feel like you're eating blind? We usually don't know all the ingredients that go into our meals when eating away from home. And most restaurants don't provide nutrition labels, either.

When watching your weight, dining out can be a challenge! We all dine out more than we ever did in the past, and there are many more restaurants available to us. We certainly have many different restaurant options to choose from, but most of them serve large portions and meals high in fat and calories. However, since there are so many people following diets, restaurants are more accommodating to your health needs when dining out than ever before.

Avoid fried and battered foods such as calamari, tempura, chicken, chicken strips and certain Chinese dishes. Instead, ask for special requests for your meal: most restaurants are accommodating and will prepare your meal as you like: ask for grilled, broiled, roasted or steamed meats and vegetables. Asking for a side of steamed vegetables, salad or a baked potato instead of french fries can help cut calories and fat while increasing your intake of healthy nutrients!